Check In #1

How is it already March 31? It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the new year and looking forward to new adventures in 2015. With the passing of these first three months of 2015, it is time for me to reflect on the intentions that I set for myself for 2015.

Believe…I am definitely believing more and more every day in myself, my training and my abilities. A perfect example of this happened last week when I was not sure I would be able to finish my Lucky 7s run as scheduled, but it turned out to be my #FaveWorkout because I mentally overcame barriers allowing myself to believe in my abilities and finish this workout mentally and physically strong. I want to improve upon this belief in myself by spending 5 minutes every evening focusing on my strengths, positive visualization and mantras to help me with mental strength and focus.

Break down barriers…I am trying to organize and start a women’s only ride in Ames this summer on Monday evenings. I am hoping this will allow more women to become comfortable with cycling, provide them with a community of women who have similar interests, broaden their horizon on safe local cycling routes and educate them on a variety of different cycling topics. I have a lot of ideas for this…now I just need women who want to branch out of their comfort zone and ride 🙂

Be Present…I am going to be honest…I struggle with this. I am always thinking about what is next and planning for the future. I need to slow down and be more mindful of the here and now.

Did you set intentions for yourself for 2015? Have you checked in lately to see where you are at with your intentions? What is going well? What do you still need to improve upon?

I really hope you get a ride group going-it’s a great idea! I’m just trying to survive this year and not let my injuries get me down too much-staying in the present (and not pining about racing in the future) is definitely a challenge.

No idea! I still haven’t heard from the surgeon and no one can tell me anything. My MRI is July 3rd, so I imagine it will be sometime after that, but no time frame. I’m not going to lie-it’s frustrating.

Presence can be tough! I’ve found that forcing myself to take a break in a weekly meditation class helps…even if it’s just a start. But good for you for making progress in all areas! And I LOVE your idea for an all-women’s ride…something I would have appreciated as a new cyclist last year, so I will be there in spirit (and I’m sure you’ll get quite the following after word gets out). Wishing you an awesome April – can’t wait to see more progress & get inspired by your workouts & pics!

I really hope the woman’s only ride pans out and I have enough interest to make it happen! I know I would have appreciated it when I was first starting to ride. I was often intimidated by riding with the guys all the time. Thanks Jennifer! I hope you have an amazing April as well!!

I love this! One thing I’ve tried to do this year is to believe more. Last year I was so afraid of the half iron swim, I almost cancelled and that would have been a really bad thing to do!!! This year, I believed I could BQ, and I believe that I can finish my IM with time to spare. The first step is to believe! Things happen and you have to be able to roll with the punches but it’s so important to think you can do something and then take the steps to make it happen. I love the women’s group idea. My friend and I plan to do that for a running group during the day, kids welcome. After IM 🙂
If you find any keys to staying present, pass them along. I think we can all use tips on that one!

Believing is so central for everything we do in endurance sport. I hope I have enough interest in the women only ride to make it a positive and worth while weekly outing for everyone. Likewise…if you find keys to staying present, I’d love to hear them 😉